Many of you grew up assuming that marriage would meet all of your needs and unlock God’s purposes for you. But God has far more planned for you than your future marriage. Not Yet Married is not about waiting quietly in the corner of the world for God to bring you “the one,” but about inspiring you to live and date for more now.

If you follow Jesus, the search for a spouse is no longer a pursuit of perfection, but a mutually flawed pursuit of him. He will likely write a love story for you different than the one you would have written for yourself, but that’s because he loves you and knows how to write a better story. Trust him, and he will help you find real hope, happiness, and purpose in your not-yet-married life.

2017, Crossway Books

Endorsements

I have been married for forty-eight years. But even now, a half-century later, the days of falling in love and “going with” Noël are still vivid in my memory. They are in a class by themselves. Marriage knows its unfettered ecstasies, but those years leading to marriage were supercharged with never-before and never-since emotions. We need God’s wisdom. And we need his supernatural help to live it out. Marshall Segal is a trustworthy guide. He is conscious of the world but conformed to the Word. God did not leave us without wisdom or power for this volatile season of life. Marshall will point you to both.
John Piper, Founder & Teacher, desiringGod.org

Timely. Relevant. Solid. In a cultural climate where singleness is equally celebrated and stigmatized, and dating is misunderstood and mispurposed, Marshall Segal injects a breath of biblical fresh air. With Scripture as its undergirding, Not Yet Married is a helpful guide to honoring God in any relational status. Married or not, single or dating, I hope you’ll read this book.
Louie Giglio, Pastor, Atlanta, Georgia

In a culture that constantly communicates false—even destructive—messages about dating, Not Yet Married is the Christian response we need. Marshall is deeply biblical and writes with the empathy, humility, and wisdom of a brother who has walked this road, made mistakes, and found grace. Now he shares his experience and gospel-rich insights with us. Teenagers especially will benefit from Marshall’s words. For that reason, this book will be one I joyfully recommend far and wide.
Jaquelle Crowe, Editor in Chief, TheRebelution.com

Marshall’s writing never fails to be richly insightful, thought provoking, and heart probing. He is also refreshingly transparent as he shares out of what he has experienced—sometimes the hard way—of God’s Word and ways. As Marshall chronicled his journey through years of singleness, I was delighted to see God bring Faye into his life “in due season.” Now I rejoice that he has written this book, which will be a feast to men and women in any season of life, as they press through every unfulfilled longing this side of heaven, to pursue joy in Christ.
Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, Radio Host, Revive Our Hearts

For years, I’ve longed for a book I could recommend without hesitation to single men and women. My wait is over. Marshall Segal’s Not Yet Married is everything I hoped for and more. His foundations are thoroughly scriptural, his applications are rooted in the good news of the gospel, and he provides some of the clearest counsel for navigating the unmarried years I’ve ever seen. He humbly acknowledges his own failures and addresses past sins with sensitive pastoral skill. If you’re single, this book will increase your faith in God’s good plans for you and inspire you to passionately pursue a Christ-exalting life. I can’t wait to recommend and give this book away.
Bob Kauflin, Pastor, Louisville, Kentucky

Singleness is not a punishment, and marriage is not a right. Yet more and more, I encounter young women who are single longer than they planned to be, and they wonder how they missed the dreamboat. What’s more, they wonder why God hasn’t answered their prayers for marriage. That’s why I’m thrilled to get my hands on Not Yet Married. This is a book not just about waiting well or about preparing for marriage. It is a book about God, grounded in God’s Word. Married, engaged, or a long way away from the altar, this book paints a beautiful, biblical picture of marriage and the God who designed it.
Erin L. Davis, Blogger; Bible teacher